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FAQ

Ok, so it's not like I get a lot of questions, but I wanted to put some info on here about me and my perspective on roller derby. You know, in case you want to read it.

What is your name?

Well, I'm Flip.

What is your quest?

I'm just going to assume that you're asking about my stats theory here. As I see it, roller derby stats need to be as objective as possible. I like to use steadfast numbers that cannot be questioned like points scored, lead jammer being named, penalties, etc. Then, I take all that objective data and throw it in a blender. Hopefully, I can find some correlations between things that might result in insight.

It is also important to note that I am not a fan of action stats. Things like whips and jammer hits are pretty meaningless to me for two reasons. One: These statistics are subjective -- One stat tracker might award a block where another person would not. Two: These statistics do not necessarily translate to an effect on the game -- Going for the big hit all the time might make your individual action stats look good, but it might also leave you out of position and ultimately hurt your team. This is debatable, but the bottom line is that I'm not convinced you can learn anything from actions stats just yet. I prefer to rely on something more steadfast.

What is your favorite color?

Yellow. Yeah, I know it's an odd choice.

How did you get involved in roller derby?

Well, this tale goes back to Season 2 of the MNRG, back when the league first moved into the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. It was probably early 2006, but I went to the last 3 bouts that year. It was a time of penalty wheels and staged fights; not exactly the derby I know and love today. Following the season, a friend of mine who had been going to the bouts with me decided she was going to try out. She made it and has been a roller girl ever since. I continued going to every bout to root her on.

About a year later, the Minnesota RollerGirls All Stars participated in the Heartland Havoc tournament. It was the first WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament, and it was broadcast on a testosterone-driven cable network called MavTV. While the network was not available in my area, the bout videos were archived on their website. Being able to watch video, and as really just an experiment, I calculated some jammer stats. This allowed me to actually analyze roller derby for the first time, and the next season, I brought a clip board with me to every MNRG bout. Ultimately, I posted a blog on MySpace (back when people used MySpace) about my statistical analysis. This was read be several members of the league, including our sideline reporter, who convinced me to volunteer. I've been working the stats ever since.

You don't really talk about banked track.

That's not really a question, you know. The fact is that I am not really interested in backed track roller derby right now. First of all, there are very few leagues that play on a banked track. It's expensive, so the vast majority of leagues find it preferable to use a flat track. Most leagues would never get off the ground if they had to spend thousands of dollars on a banked track. This is what led to the creation of flat track roller derby, and in my opinion, flat track is where it's at.